Automatic vending machine



Sept. 23, 1930. A. HEILAND AUTOMATIC VENDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 11 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 23, 1930. HElLAND 1,776,758

AUTOMATI C VENDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 11, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ARTHUR flf L 0 Patented Sept. 23, 1 930 UNITED STATES PATENT? OFFICE ARTHUR HEILAND, OF IBERLIiN-RANGSDORF, GERMANY AUTOMATIC VEQIDING MACHINE Application filed October 11, 1928, Serial No.811,94, and in Germany April 22, 1928.

The invention relates to automatic vend- '10 refer to generally as a string, having one end attached to a support on which the pile rests, and the other end attachedto a rotatable drum on which the string can be wound, in the form of a regular helix, the string passing in zig-zag through the pile so that it forms an open loop round each article except the one on top, with the result that anupward pull exerted on the string by rotation of the drum causes the article on top to be lifted and thrown off the pile.

The object of my invention isto improve the reliability and general utility of machines of this kind.

An embodiment of apparatus accordmg to the invention is shown in the accompanylng drawing. v

Fig. 1 is a front view of some of the principal parts of the mechanism, and

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof.

away, with certain associated parts, and

Fig. 4 is aside view thereof.

Figs. 5 and 6 show the drum to a larger scale, and a Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate a device for traversing the drum.

Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate a modification enabling the circumferential part of the drum to be changed, and

Fig. 11 illustrates a modification enabling the efi'ective. circumference of the drum to be regulated.

Fig. 12 shows a device for attaching the string to the drum.

Figs. 13 and 14 are two views of part of the mechanism whereby inserted coins cause delivery of goods.

Fig. 15 shows the pile of goods on its support, with the string, and v Fig. 3 shows the drum, partly broken Fig. 16 is a perspective'view of the outside of part of the machine.

The apparatus has a casing, in which is a table Zfor the journals shown in Fig. 15.

These are piled one upon the other, and a string 1: havin one end attached to the table Z passes 1n zig-zag through the pile,

from bottom to top, so that it forms an open loop around each journal except the one at the top. The string passes over a guide roller 0, and its upper end is attached to a drum 6 having a helical groove, in which the string can be wound by rotating the drum. As shown in Figs. 1 to 6 the drum is slidable on a shaft w having a longitudinal groove 3 into which enga es the tip of the screw :11 screwed into a tu ular boss at one end of the drum. This screw causes the drum to rotate with the shaft, but does not prevent axial movement of the drum on the shaft and axial movement of the drum is caused by a fork g engaging the helical groove.

In the modification shown in Fi s. 7 and 8 the drum, designated 6 in Fig. has at one end a tubular boss '0 with an external screw thread, the pitch of the screw thread 7 being equal to that of the helical groove on the drum. Engaged with this boss is a nut to held by two pivoted arms 8, so that it cannot rotate, and consequently causes axial dis- I placement of the drum when the drum is rotated.

The journals are lifted off the pile by the pull of the string when the drum is rotated for winding the string on it, and the journals being of uniform size, and uniformly folded, the same length of string must be wound on the drum for lifting each journal. In order that the same amount of rotation will lift a journal of another size, if the machine is to deal with journals of such other size, the

- diameter of the drum must be changed. This -may be done by changing the drum,o r ma I which the drum has a core' Z2 with a disk 1) fixed to each end thereof. Each of the disks has two arms p, p, to which two shell members m and m are connected by pivots g and g respectively. These shell members form the circumferential part of the drum, and can be rocked on their pivots by means of 'a turn-buckle r, to increaseor reduce-the efl'ective circumference of the drum. A scale may be marked in some convenient position to indicate the effective circumference.

To enable the string to be made taut, in case it-has become stretched, the drum may be connected to the shaft w by means of a coupling enabling it to be unfastened and rotated independently of the shaft, the drum being re-fixed to the shaft when the string is taut.

When a fresh supply of journals is to be placed in the machine the string is is pulled, so that it is unwound from the drum. The drum, by means of a train of gears Z, then rotates a shaft n (Fig. 2) on which is wound a cord 0 having a weight 71 attached thereto. The weight is by this means lifted. Rotation of the drum in the opposite direction is prevented by a spring loaded catch it engaging a notched wheel f, which is fixed to a pinion in mesh with one of the gear wheels Z.

To save time in inserting fresh journals into the machine, a fresh string is may be .used for each pile of journals, and may be looped round the journals outside the machine, the ends being attached to the table Z and drum 6 respectlvely after insertion into the machine. Fig. 12 shows for this purpose 9. lug t on the tubular boss of the drum, with a part t projecting over the drum to guide the string, and an eye t for attaching the hook.

The casing has a plurality of coin slots for the insertion of coins of different denominations, appropriate coin-testers being provided, and plates with directions for payment being aflixed to the outside of the casing. The coms inserted into each slot pass through a chute to a balance arm, and a coin 0 coins of the prescribed weight actuate this alance .so that the drum is released for delivery of a journal. The balance device can be regulated to respond to coins of different weights, or different numbers of coins, according to the price of the journal to be sold.

As shown in Figs. 1, 13 and 14 a chute re ceiving the coins has projecting into it a pin 'd for arresting the coins. This pin is ver- 'tically adjustable, according to the number of coins required for payment of a journal, and it is so adjusted that all the coins but one remain temporarily resting on it, and fill that part of the chute which is above the pin, so that the last coin is deflected into another .chute, through which it drops to the till.

This last coin, on its way to the till, deflects the arm projecting from the catch b, so that The journals lifted off the pile by the pull of the string it fall on to aninclined guide way a (Fig. 15), which guides them to the delivery aperture of the machine. It will be noted that owing to the zigzag course of the string through the pile the journals fall off alternately at the back and front of the pile. At the back of the pile there are several pivoted rods 30 suspended from brackets, so that the journals falling off at the backs strike these rods, and not the back of the casing. The guide way a is convex, and in order to provide an adequately steep guide for the journals falling off in front of the pile the guide way has a downward bend at the front part thereof.

It will be understood that the casing may have several compartments, for different journals, each with the appropriate devices for payment and delivery.

A specimen of each journal on sale may be exposed to view behind a window in front of the casing, as shown in Fig. 16, and at the sides there may be windows ehind which notices, advertisements, telegrams or the like are placed on view. Such notices and the like may be attached to an endless band 11 on rollers 12 and 13, one of the rollers having a crank outside the casing, so that the band can be made to travel ast the window, exposing the notices to new in success1on.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In an automatic vending machine the combination of a support for a pile of goods, a rotatable drum, a lock restrainin drum from rotation, a device for re easing said said lock, means whereby the drum is moved axially during rotation'thereof, and means for attaching to said support and 'drum respectively the ends of a string placed in open loops round goods on the support, so that pulls exerted on the string by rotation of the drlum throw the goods in succession ofl the p 2. The combination claimed in claim 1, the drum having a helical groove for the wind ing of string thereon.

3. In an automatic vending machine the combination of a support for a pile of goods, a rotatable drum, gravity actuated means for rotating said'drum, a lock restraining said drum from rotation, a device for releasin said lock, means whereby the drum is move am'ally during rotation thereof, and means for attaching to said support and drum respectively the ends of a string placed in open loops round goods on the support, so that pulls exerted on the string by rotation of the drum throw the goods in succession 0d the ile.

p a. In an automatic vending machine the combination of a support for a pile of goods, a rotatable drumot-variable circumference, a lock restraining said lock'from rotation, a device for releasing said lock, means whereby said drum is moved axially during rotation thereof, and means for attaching to said support and drum respectively the ends of a string placed in 0 en loops round goods on the support, so that pulls exerted on the string by rotation of the drum throw the goods in succession off the ile.

'5. In an automatic ven ing machine the combination of a support fora pile of goods, a rotatable drum having a detachable shell, a lockrestrainin said drum from rotation a device for releasing said lock, means whereby said drum is moved axially in the course of rotation thereof and means for attaching to said support and drum respectively the ends of a string placed in open loops round goods on the support, so that pulls exerted on the string byrotation of the drum throw the goods in succession off the pile.

6. In an automatic vending machine the combination of a support for a pile of goods, a rotatable drum, a look restraining said drum from rotation, means for releasing said lock, means whereby said drum is moved axially during rotation thereof, and means for attaching to said support and drum res eotively hooks-at the ends of a string place in open loops round goods on the support, so that pulls exerted on the string by rotation of the drum throw the goods in succession ofi the pile. v

In witness whereof I have signed this specification.

ARTHUR HEILAND. 

